Bottle cap with outlet means and having a resiliently supported closure member



Dec. 2 1952 Q a KlNLEY 2,620,098

BOTTLE CAP WITH OUTLET MEANS AND HAVING A RESILIENTLY SUPPORTED CLOSUREMEMBER Filed July 12, 1950 Inn ! INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 2, 1952:BOT-TDE CAP "WITH OUTLET MEANS AND JHAYING .RES'ILIEN-ILY SUPPORTEDCLOSURE f-MEMBER "Clilford B. iKinley, Falls .Chmtc'h, Ya. ApplicationJuly :12, 1950, SetiaI NoJ-IWSMGI :8 Claims. (]..222-511) (Granted underthe act of March 3, 1883, "as :amended :April I130, 1928; 370 0. 6.3757)"The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufacturedand-used by=or"for *the Government for governmental urposes, without thepayment to *me of any royalty thereon.

"This invention *relates to bottle caps and more particularly to capswhich are normally closed but which may .be opened :by 1 manually"pressing a "resilient element.

This invention has for its primary object to provide a bottle -'ca phaving-'normally closed outlet V ports which may be =eonvenieritl-y*opened by pressing a a resilient element. -While such -"caps are knownin the prior art my invention is an improvement-'enabling the same to bebuilt more satisfactorily ='and-at't1ower cost.

A I further object df' my invention is *to provide a bottle cap with areadily =removable resilient closing meniber for' the port =openings.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thisdescription proceeds.

Briefly speaking "the "invention utilizes a conventional bottle "capwith outlet holes in -the top'thereof. platenormally'covers these holes,the plate having a resilient support whereby it may be -depressed to-anoperating position. "In this position holes in the :plate"aligny-with those of *the cap to+-allow passage or: material from thebottle. The invention resides in the construction=and= mounting of theresilient: support. This support is held in its normal position solely'by its own tension and emay" be moved to "operatingpositionibyreleasing that tension. I-Further details are :shown in the:drawing and hereinafter described, and the invention is defined in theappended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a, perspective view o'f.one.;form oi the invention. Figure 2is a top'view of the bottle cap "of Figure 1,-andFigure 3is acrosssection :of the cap when on aibottle. Figure *4 is -a'sperspectiveview or vthexca with the.:contro1 plate land iits -resilient -support:removed, rand Figure 55 is a perspective view :of the :control plateandzits resilient support.

Figure 6 is a perspective viewof another form of the invention. Figure 7is a sectional view of the second form. Figure f8is a top view of FahFigure 9 'is '"a perspective view of,*the bottle cap of the second formwith the control plate and its resilient support removed. Figure 10 is aperspective view of the control plate and its resilient plate (in thesecond form of the invention).

Referring to Figure 1, a main bottle I (which may contain either aliquid, a gas, or a granuf2 lated *solid') has 1a first closure member,cap is threadeirto threadsfii of "the bottle I. The .cap has "an indent5 and a main outlethole'lfi. .the latter "being .coaxial .with the5-bcttle. Cap .14 also has a recess J (Figure 4) which constitutes as'houlder-ior;receivin g one/end ill. of the resilient support :8 "and"holding "it against :upward and lateral displacement. The resilientsupport 3 has.a projection at-:end I'll whichfits into recess 1, andalso has an upright 'arm *9. A second closure .member, control ;plate II," has a first end terminating in endr'stop 12 :extending down {theside wall of *cap and "an :opposite second end connected "to .resilientsupport 8. The control plate "I I has anindent :13 which ,normallycoversthe .jhole "6 "of theihottlew'hen the ;resi.lierit arm '9 "is' not beingpressed; a'nole 11H in. controhplate H is ;out of "alignment withfholeiu;in .cap 4, when resilient armfi of support! is notpressefd. "Underthese ponditionslthe tension: in resilient support '8 fiorces theend-stop "I2 into engagement with the side wall of cap "4 (see'FigureU.However, when .the operator desires .to open .the outlet opening ,6, hepresses "the rsnppnrt '58 toward .the left (see Fig. '3) .mitil tthelindent jl3 ,ijumpsffrom hole .5 .into indent J5; Itliis alignsholes -6and and permits dispensation .of I the contents of bottle "Itherethrough. When (the .operator no longer desires for the .bottle toIbeopen -Ihe releases tension onnsupport i8xand' infdent I {M umpsbackinto opening '6.

In .the modified .form of .Figure 6 the ',bottle 2,011has .thteaidsiZlwhich carry cap .12, .the'datter having a patternof openings j 23through the=top thereof. .The resilient su port .24 .has .an .up-

rightmerr'iher T2 5 with tapro'ieotion "25. adapted to fititheIecessil!.,o?f1the:cap;22. ,lThe ,controlplate 21 ,has *aitip T28 .whichis ,normally'ibiased against the ,;-side wan .Lcif nap 1'22 "toi-lholdLthe .plate .21 Sin the "normal closed .Position. in the xclose'd,position (seeZFigurel) none olf the .holes'ifl 9 df plat 21 areing'alignment withiiho1es223 .ojfithe cap 22. However upon pressingupright 225;.to1theflit Figure 7.) each hole29;movesintoalignment with yits :col' gflementarfhqle i2 "LThepattern off .the "holes '29 .in plate121 is the same as lthe pattern suitable resilient material. Thematerial may be a. suitable resilient plastic such as is sold under thetrade name Plexiglas. In depressing the resilient support the bottlemaybe held in one hand and the tliumb o fthat' hand may exert a forceperpendicular "to the axis of the opening in the cap, such force beingapplied about midway between reference numbers 8 and 9 (see Figure 3).

Figure 1 is primarily designed for liquids, and Figure 2 is primarilydesigned as a salt shaker. In both of these forms of the invention thecontents of the bottle are isolated from moisture when the cap is closedby the cover plate.-

I claim to have invented:

1. A bottle cap comprising a cu shaped cap portion having internalthreads to engage the bottle, said cap defining an opening through thebase of the cup, and a flat elongated member having a li engaging a sidewallof the cap with the, fiat member having its flat surface lyingon.the outer surface .of the base of the cup, said 'member having aresilient portion connected to said fiat member'at said base andproceeding generally in a U-shape with. the legs of the U generallyparallel to the axis of the cup, the free end of the U engaging the sidewall of the capat aboutlBO degrees around the axis of the cap from saidlip and exerting tension against the'wall of the cap to hold the fiatmember in a normal position, 'said flat member .having an opening.therein which moves, into. alignment with the first-named opening whenpressure in the direction of the." cap is exertedon the leg of the Ufarthest removed from 'the.cap;' and means .on said cap portion andjonthe U-shaped resilient portion of said fiat elongated lmember forpreventing relative rotation, said means comprising a recessed portionin the'wallof. said cap and an,inturned' projection at the free end .ofsaid Ui-shaped resilient portion interfitting with said recessedportion.

2." The bottle cap of claim 1 in which said fiat member is held inposition on the cap solely by the tension of said resilientjportion.

'3. The bottle cap of claim 2 in which the resilient portion and theflat membenincluding said lip, are in' one piece. H t

4. The bottle cap of claim 3 in which theresili ent portion and the flatmember isa single ,strip' of material.

5. 'In a closure for containers, a 'cont ainer.

closure having a side wall including a recessed portion, and an end wallfonclosing the container, said end wall defining an opening therein; and.means for opening and closingsaid opening comprising: a, resilientmember of U-shape one ofthe legs of the U beinglonger than the otherandth'e long leg havinga projection extending into engagement with therecessed portionof the side wall of the container closure, the outerendof the short 18g, of the U being at the level of the end wall of. theclosure, a'closure mem'- ber connected to said outer end of said shortleg andextending contiguous with a portionthe outsidesurface of said endwall and normally closing said opening, and a lip connected to saidclosure member at the end thereof remote from said U-shaped member, saidlip extending down the side wall of the container closure, said closuremember defining an opening theretl' rough normally outs of alignmentwith the opening in said closure but which aligns with the ,opening inthe closure when the resilient member is depressed.

- 6. The device of claim 5 in which the longer leg of the U is spacedfrom the closest point of the top'surface of said end wall equal to thespacing between the axes of said openings so that when the long arm isdepressed against the side wall of the container the openings arebrought into alignment.

7. The device of claim 5 in which said closure member has a raisedportion that normally fills said opening in the end wall, said end walldefining an indent spaced from the hole therein by a distance equalto-the normal distance between-the axes of said holes. v

8. A bottle cap comprisinga first container closure member having a sidewall and an end wall, the end wall defining an opening therethrough, anda second closure member the first end of which passes down the side wallof the first closure member, said second closure member-extendingcontiguous with the outer surface of said end wall and closing saidopening, and resilient means connected to the second end of the secondclosure memberand biasing the latter toward said second end, saidresilient means having one end connected to said second closure memberand its other end pressing against the side wall of the first closuremember, the tension in said resilient means being sufiicient tohold thesame in normal position, said second closure member defining a holetherethrough normally out of alignment with said opening but whichaligns therewith when the resilient means is depressed to move thesecond closure member; and means on said first and second closuremembers for releasably connecting them and-preventing relative rotationthereof, said means comprising a recessed shoulder portion in said firstclosure member and an inturned projection on the free end-ofq-theresilient means connected} to said second closure member, saidprojection interfitting with said recessed shoulder insaid first closuremember and held by said recessed shoulder against upward andlateralidisplacement.

CLIFFORD BQKINLEY.

REFERENCES CITED h following references are of'record in th file of thispatent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS 51,71,701, Great Britain f Sept. 9,5193?

